Cookies help us display personalized product recommendations and ensure you have great shopping experience.

By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
SmartData CollectiveSmartData Collective
  • Analytics
    AnalyticsShow More
    image fx (67)
    Improving LinkedIn Ad Strategies with Data Analytics
    9 Min Read
    big data and remote work
    Data Helps Speech-Language Pathologists Deliver Better Results
    6 Min Read
    data driven insights
    How Data-Driven Insights Are Addressing Gaps in Patient Communication and Equity
    8 Min Read
    pexels pavel danilyuk 8112119
    Data Analytics Is Revolutionizing Medical Credentialing
    8 Min Read
    data and seo
    Maximize SEO Success with Powerful Data Analytics Insights
    8 Min Read
  • Big Data
  • BI
  • Exclusive
  • IT
  • Marketing
  • Software
Search
© 2008-25 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Apple in the BI Space?
Share
Notification
Font ResizerAa
SmartData CollectiveSmartData Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
  • About
  • Help
  • Privacy
Follow US
© 2008-23 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
SmartData Collective > Business Intelligence > Apple in the BI Space?
Business Intelligence

Apple in the BI Space?

DougLautzenheiser
DougLautzenheiser
3 Min Read
SHARE

Earlier today, Lizette Chapman at Fast Company wrote about Apple’s $46 billion in cash reserves.

Investors are asking the company to use that to pay out dividends, but Steve Jobs wants to keep sitting on the dough.  Steve says:

Earlier today, Lizette Chapman at Fast Company wrote about Apple’s $46 billion in cash reserves.

More Read

big data
Analytics at Google: Great Example of Data-Driven Decision-Making
A Simple Explanation of Supply Chain Business Intelligence
Foldit is a revolutionary new computer game enabling you to…
The opportunity for opportunity analytics
Data Miners on Twitter

Investors are asking the company to use that to pay out dividends, but Steve Jobs wants to keep sitting on the dough.  Steve says:

We know if we need to acquire something–a piece of the puzzle to make something big and bold–we can write a check for it and not borrow a lot of money and put our whole company at risk.  The cash in the bank gives us tremendous security and flexibility.

If Steve wanted, he could take a small chunk of that money–not much, perhaps just a billion or two–and buy one of the few remaining pure Business Intelligence software vendors.  Apple could then leverage the acquired BI infrastructure and and build a nice BI front-end for the iPad.

That would classify as “big and bold.”  Today, the BI software space is dominated by four mega-vendors: IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, and SAP.  All of these big companies acquired BI vendors.  Why not Apple?

My blog gets hit constantly by people looking for information about BI on the iPad and other mobile devices.  People want it.  Apple could buy it.  It would work.

Apple already has a Business Intelligence webpage showing other vendors’ BI apps on the iPhone and iPad.  Using some of its cash, Apple could be a winner in the BI space.

Candidates for Steve to buy include Actuate, MicroStrategy, and Information Builders.  Personally, I would suggest that Apple acquire privately-held Information Builders’ for their BI product WebFOCUS and their enterprise integration technology called iWay Software.

The WebFOCUS architecture works well as a powerful BI engine for Safari-based web applications.  So it already works today on the iPad.  Just to take things to that “big and bold” level, however, Apple could implement a beautiful touchscreen BI application to sit on top of WebFOCUS.

Of course, the product name WebFOCUS is right up there with “horseless carriage.”  Apple will surely change that to something snappy like iBI (which is what most people call it today because of the vendor’s initials), Apple Info, or Apple Knowledge. 

The iWay Software already has the Apple “i” at the beginning!  Still, I would make a name change recommendation–since enterprise integration is plumbing, the glue that holds things together, etc.–I would go with Apple Sauce.

With $46 billion in cash, Steve should have no problem becoming one of the BI software mega-vendors if he wants.

TAGGED:apple
Share This Article
Facebook Pinterest LinkedIn
Share

Follow us on Facebook

Latest News

image fx (2)
Monitoring Data Without Turning into Big Brother
Big Data Exclusive
image fx (71)
The Power of AI for Personalization in Email
Artificial Intelligence Exclusive Marketing
image fx (67)
Improving LinkedIn Ad Strategies with Data Analytics
Analytics Big Data Exclusive Software
big data and remote work
Data Helps Speech-Language Pathologists Deliver Better Results
Analytics Big Data Exclusive

Stay Connected

1.2kFollowersLike
33.7kFollowersFollow
222FollowersPin

You Might also Like

How Apple’s iWatch Will Push Big Data Analytics

5 Min Read

The iPhone 5? So what?

3 Min Read

Steve Jobs Leaves an Indelible Mark on Business Intelligence

7 Min Read

Early Indications December 2009: Yet Another Predictions Issue

24 Min Read

SmartData Collective is one of the largest & trusted community covering technical content about Big Data, BI, Cloud, Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, IoT & more.

ai in ecommerce
Artificial Intelligence for eCommerce: A Closer Look
Artificial Intelligence
AI chatbots
AI Chatbots Can Help Retailers Convert Live Broadcast Viewers into Sales!
Chatbots

Quick Link

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Follow US
© 2008-25 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Go to mobile version
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?